iately occurred to the former that Henry Maudslay was the very man
to execute work of the elaborate character proposed, and he described
to Brunel the new and beautiful tools which Maudslay had contrived for
the purpose of ensuring accuracy and finish. Brunel at once determined
to call upon Maudslay, and it was arranged that Bacquancourt should
introduce him, which he did, and after the interview which took place
Brunel promised to call again with the drawings of his proposed model.

A few days passed, and Brunel called with the first drawing, done by
himself; for he was a capital draughtsman, and used to speak of drawing
as the "alphabet of the engineer." The drawing only showed a little
bit of the intended machine, and Brunel did not yet think it advisable
to communicate to Maudslay the precise object he had in view; for
inventors are usually very chary of explaining their schemes to others,
for fear of being anticipated. Again Brunel appeared at Maudslay's
shop with a further drawing, still not explaining his design; but at
the third visit, immediately on looking at the fresh drawings he had
brought, Maudslay exclaimed, "Ah! now I see what you are thinking of;
you want machinery for making blocks." At this Brunel became more
communicative, and explained his designs to the mechanic, who fully
entered into his views, and went on from that time forward striving to
his utmost to work out the inventor's conceptions and embody them in a
practical machine.

While still occupied on the models, which were begun in 1800, Maudslay
removed his shop from Wells-street, where he was assisted by a single
journeyman, to Margaret-street, Cavendish-square, where he had greater
room for carrying on his trade, and was also enabled to increase the
number of his hands. The working models were ready for inspection by
Sir Samuel Bentham and the Lords of the Admiralty in 1801, and having
been fully approved by them, Brunel was authorized to proceed with the
execution of the requisite machinery for the manufacture of the ship's
blocks required for the Royal Navy. The whole of this machinery was
executed by Henry Maudslay; it occupied him very fully for nearly six
years, so that the manufacture of blocks by the new process was not
begun until September, 1808.

We despair of being able to give any adequate description in words of
the intricate arrangements and mode of action of the block-making
machinery. Let any one attempt to describe